Dined there Wednesday evening. Called one day ahead and got a table for 4 at 8:30, but it was the least preferred table. Who cares, when you get in last minute like that.

Small, cozy New York minimalist restaurant where the focus is on the plate and in the glass. Prix Fixe of $68, includes starter, main and dessert. A few selections had $5 kickers. Not too bad.

Seated promptly. Very professional and courteous staff. Knowlegable sommelier who knew how to take the "leave me alone" hint. Decent but not great Speigelau stemware.

The wine list here is everything you have heard, and more. It is truly a wonder, especially by East Coast standards. There probably aren't 10 places in the Northeast that have more than one Turley Zin. Veritas had 15 different selections. Prices are high, but given the choice of things you hardly ever see, the premium is worth it. I was asked to select the wines, but I wasn't paying, so I didn't go overboard.

Began with a peeky toe crab amuse bouche with tarragon and cucumber.
Starters were 2 foie gras; a salad (women!); and I got the cold lobster salad. This wasn't a lobster salad in the usual sense. Rather, it was half a tail and one claw from a 1 3/4 pound lobster set on a mound (pool) of avocado puree topped with diced mango and arugula. The lobster was not chopeed or diced at all. Just big hunks of whole meat. Yum. Went great with the Chardonnay. Didn't try the foie gras (cholesterol test coming up).

Main courses were: seared cod with a mustard sauce; black bass; and 2 orders of short ribs, which the server advised was the signature dish at this time. I had one of the short ribs. Best I've ever had. Not too soft. I like it when there is still a little bite to it. Intense wine sauce. Perfect foil for the red wine. Had a bite of the cod as well. Cod sort of has a reputation as a plain, peasant fish. But done properly, it is a regal fish. This was wonderful. If you are avoiding meat, I would definitely recommend this.

For dessert, I chose the cheese plate. Well proportioned selection of 5 cheeses. Roquefort, an aged goat, an aged sheeps milk, Camembert (the weak link), and the fifth which I didn't catch the name of, but it had been shaved so as to curl, much as a pastry chef would do with chocolate. In fact, it looked exactly like white chocolate on the plate. The cheese was a terrific foil for the Port.

Scott Bryan knows what he is doing. While it is impossible to be "up" on all of the restaurants in NYC, I have to doubt that one could find 5 better meals in the city. I wouldn't put it on the same pedestal as Daniel, but it was $20 cheaper, and only ashade behind it in quality.

Here are the wines in the order consumed:

2001 Brewer-Clifton Sweeney Canyon Chardonnay

1997 Phelps Insignia

1995 Louis Latour Corton-Charlamagne White Burgundy

1985 Graham's Vintage Port

Tete de Moins?

Well, tete your moins too!

Yes! Yes! She called it "Monk's Head". That's it!

Tete de moins is a special cheese but it loses its appeal if it is cut with anything but a girrole (spelling of that is absolutely butchered sorry).

Do I need to ask? Girrole?

I know I could look it up but this is more fun.

I know what a lay-yul is (talk about spelling). Laguiole.

A girrole is a cheese cutter designed to work with Tete de Moins. There is one spoke in the middle on which you impale the Tete de Moins. One then attaches to the top of the spoke a downward pointing knife. The cutting edge (basically it is the length of the radius of the cheese but it depends on the manufacturer) spins in a circle with the spoke being in the middle of the cheese. The edge scrapes off the cheese. In action, it looks like a knife cutting the hair off of a monk to give the monk a tonsure. Thus the name.

You mean a hair cut?

davidn

We ate there last month. The wine list is both expansive and expensive. But the food is the key here, so much so I saved a menu. The main course prix fixe is an excellent selection of 12 or so dishes.

I had the wild striped bass, with melted savoy cabbage, smoked bacon, and mustard emulsion. My wife had the braised ribs.
We are not cheese aficiniados, but the a la carte desserts were also otherwordly. I had the Grand Marnier ice cream and orange buttermilk panna cotta. I believe my wife had a cassis sorbet Green Apple Granite.
Since I was paying, and I'm a cheap skate, I went for a Prum Auslese '01, '93 Patouk 5P Tokaji, but only a 350 '99 Monbousquet for the red.

While I am not a gastronome, I agree, this place is as good (and as pricey) as NY restaurants get. Kudos to Chef Scott Bryan and staff.

For those interested the place is at 43 E. 20th St, next to Park in a building undergoing construction.
Please call 212-353-3700 for reservations. We got in same day but it was for 6:30 on a Sunday.

Also recommended, next time in NY, try Cafe Boulud.

I am a cheese nut and would like to learn more. I am trying but you know what trying means; not doing.

Jones, this really fascinates me. Is there anyplace around here that has this cheese? If I asked my club to get it what exactly (auf English) would I ask them to get? Including the utensil?

Tetes de Moins is available around the Bay Area. In your neck of the woods, I would be surprised if Draegers did not have it. Say Cheese and 24th Street Cheese usually has tetes but Artisanal does not. The girolle is available by mail order from Dean and Deluca (and it may be easier if you just stop in to the St. Helena Dean and Deluca the next time you are in the Valley - they seem to always have the cheese and the cutter for sale and in stock)

Its a great cheese to go with a stern Pinot like a Pommard.

Going here next Thursday. What should I drink?

Veritas Wine List

The $400 magnum of SQN Incognito has caught my eye already (only if I'm feeling rich though).

As has been noted before they are not exactly giving wine away. Still here are the wines I would consider:

99 Bonneau de Martray Corton Charlemagne $105
1966, 67, 68 Martin Ray Cabernets
The SQN Incognito/Ventriloquist as you have already noted in the scheme of things is a pretty good price but you might want to consider the 1997 Ojai Henry Daniel Syrah $145 ($290 in magnum) instead.

There is a god.

Apparently, he's living in the cellar at Veritas.

That's one heck of a wine list.

Yes, the SQN is a very good price in the Magnum. For some reason the SQN mags are very highly priced at retail (well above double the 750 price, and frequently 3.5 times). If there are only two of you a magnum would be a bit much.

I had a great time at Veritas. Next time I will ask for more opinions, too. Glad I listened to Jones the time I did go....

Mrs. STW and I are going with another couple. 2 bottles can easily be consumed.

Thanks to all for your suggestions so far!

Okay - I've whittled down their 62 page wine list to the following selections. I'm thinking of one nice bottle of red (maybe two):

'93 La Jota 12th Anniversary (RP96) - $175
'96 Pahlmeyer Merlot (RP97) - $190
'96 Ojai Syrah Roll Ranch (RP95) - $125
'96 Ojai Syrah Stolpman (RP95) - $145
'00 Domaine Vieille Julienne VV (RP97) - $190
'97 Falesco Montiano (RP95) - $155
'95 Clos Erasmus (RP96) - $195
'95 Artadi Pagos Viejos MAGNUM (RP96) - $305
'98 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz (RP98) - $140

This is my chance to have a great wine with the "corked" risk being absorbed by the restaurant. Clearly I want a top notch bottle that I don't have in my cellar AND that offers a fair deal considering the auction/retail prices that these wines go for.

I know at least one of these is too young (CdP) - but that's a great price and I can always ask them to decant ahead of time.

I would go with the Stolpman ahead of the Roll Ranch but for the same price as the Stolpman you can get the Henry Daniel. I would definitely buy the Henry Daniel before either of those 96s. The Henry Daniel also received a 95 from Parker (but is clearly better than either of those 96s imo).

Thanks. I overlooked that bottle because I wasn't familiar with the designation! Great idea!

What about the others?